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|Per cent.
------------------------------
1982-83 |9.6
1983-84 |9.5
1984-85 |5.8
1985-86 |11.4
1986-87 |2.2
1987-88 |4.6
1988-89 |3.9
1989-90 |1.1
1990-91 |1.6
1991-92 |1.2
Figures for earlier years are not available.
Column 312
Silk Textiles
Mr. Evennett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in agreeing harmonised European Community rules on imports of silk textiles from state trading countries under autonomous arrangements ; what interim measures he has taken in the meantime ; and what representations he has received about the need for rapid agreement on a definitive solution.
Mr. Needham : The European Community has not yet managed to agree harmonised rules for imports of silk textiles from state-trading countries for 1993 and onwards. In the interim, and following representations from a number of trade associations and commercial interests, the United Kingdom has provisionally rolled over into 1993 the national arrangements that were in force in 1992 but has applied them on a quarterly basis.
Wave Energy
Mr. Spellar : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to publish the final report of the review of wave energy.
Mr. Eggar : The report "A Review of Wave Energy"--ETSU-R-72, was published on 17 December 1992 and copies placed in the Library of the House.
Car Dealership Franchises
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he has taken to implement the recommendations of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on ending trade restraints built into car dealership franchises.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : In May 1992, my right hon. Friend invited the Director General of Fair Trading to negotiate with the car suppliers with a view to obtaining undertakings to implement the
recommendations contained in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the supply of new motor cars in the United Kingdom. The Director General has concluded that satisfactory undertaking on all of the Commission's recommendations could not be obtained from all the suppliers. My right hon. Friend is currently considering options for taking further action on this report.
Business Names Act
Mr. Bayley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 26 February, Official Report, column 776, with which (a) educational bodies and (b) other bodies he corresponded before approving the use of the name Somerset University under the Business Names Act 1985.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : There was no correspondence between the Secretary of State and any educational or other bodies before the name was approved. The name was approved on the basis that there was evidence that it had been in use prior to 1 January 1983 when the regulations controlling the use of the word university came into force. Consequently there was no requirement to consult any other bodies before approving the name.
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Manufacturing Exports
Mr. Milburn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade which five manufacturing industries have been the largest exporters in each United Kingdom region in each year since 1985.
Mr. Needham : Analysis of export statistics by United Kingdom region are not available.
Assisted Areas
Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take account of the level of economically inactive adult males when determining assisted area status ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The consultation paper for the assisted areas map review jointly issued by the Welsh and Scottish Offices and my Department in June last year set out the criteria for designation. This stated that statistical measures of unemployment would be the major components in the review. A number of other factors to be taken into account was also listed in the paper. These included activity rates.
Coal Imports
Mr. Hardy : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the price paid during the last quarter of 1992 for steam coal imported into the United Kingdom from (a) Colombia, (b) Poland, (c) Germany, (d) the CIS, (e) South Africa and (f) the United States of America ; and what was the cost of similar coal produced by British Coal deep mines.
Mr. Eggar : The average price paid for steam coal imported into the United Kingdom during the last quarter of 1992 was as follows.
Country of origin |Cost per tonne<1>
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------
Colombia |31
Poland |54
Germany |46
Former USSR |28
South Africa |32
United States of America |36
Source: HM Customs and Excise.
<1> Includes the cost of insurance and freight.
Comparable information for steam coal produced in the United Kingdom is not held centrally.
EC Funds
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his discussions with Commissioner Millan on additionality and bringing matching European funds to the United Kingdom.
Mr. Sainsbury : As agreed with the Commission the treatment of receipts from the European regional development fund in the United Kingdom's public expenditure system will be made more transparent. From 1 April public expenditure cover will be made available automatically and in full for all forecast receipts.
Commissioner Millan wrote on 8 February seeking assurance that full arrangements will be in place to implement the agreement. He has been so assured.
Column 314
China
Mr. Adley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to improve trade with China.
Mr. Needham : A much stronger United Kingdom commercial presence in China is a high priority for my Department. I have visited China three times since last July. There is growing United Kingdom business interest in the massive opportunities in that market, for profitable infrastructure, machinery, consumer goods and services business. We are carrying out a programme of activities with British business to help to improve the United Kingdom's performance, targetting in particular major projects, small and medium-sized United Kingdom exporters and the services sector, including retailing and distribution.
Import Substitution
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy, in association with representatives of British manufacturing industry, to seek to establish a task force on import substitution in order to identify areas in which such substitution is feasible.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 9 March 1993] : Government activities which seek to discriminate in favour of United Kingdom producers against exporters from other Community member states are precluded by the treaty of Rome. Nevertheless, my Department is continually working to assist United Kingdom firms to exploit market opportunities at home and abroad. The recent fall in the value of the pound against the currency of our major competitors provides plenty of scope for United Kingdom businesses to gain a larger share of the domestic market.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement providing details of those initiatives which have been taken by his Department in order to identify areas in which import substitution is a feasible option ; if he will list the categories of goods which have so far been identified by those initiatives ; and what action he has taken to draw each area of potential import substitution to the attention of British manufacturers.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 9 March 1993] : My Department is continually working to assist United Kingdom firms to identify market opportunities both at home and abroad. In particular, the new DTI sector divisions work closely with their industries to help business take advantage of the opportunities created by the recent fall in the value of sterling. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise provides the names and addresses of United Kingdom importers for each classification of imported goods through appointed marketing agents.
EC Maritime Policy
Mr. Hutton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the development of a new maritime policy for the Community ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : I have been asked to reply.
Column 315
The report of the maritime forum, which dealt with all aspects of maritime policy, was presented to a meeting of Industry Ministers chaired by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 24 November last year.Malaysia
Mr. Elletson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the soft loan which the United Kingdom is making to Malaysia to help pay for the international airport near Kuala Lumpur.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I have been asked to reply.
Column 316
We have told the Malaysian Government that we are setting aside a sum of up to £42 million of grant finance from the aid and trade provision budget to be used in association with export credits for contracts which may be awarded to British companies of up to £120 million worth of United Kingdom goods and services for the planned new international airport outside Kuala Lumpur. A firm financial commitment to support the project is subject to completion of the Overseas Development Administration's and the Export Credits Guarantee Department's usual appraisal procedures and to consulting OECD partners in accordance with the recent international agreement in the use of tied aid credits.
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